Tank Gets Dirty Very Fast

[ericwithac]

I have a 55 gal tank with the R100 sump from Eshoppes and a Coral Vue skimmer. I have some phosgard in my filter sock and some carbon in my skimmer compartment. It seems like my tank gets dirty (including lots of algae on tank walls) rather quickly compared to most tanks I see. I know my tank sits in front of a window which gets a bit of sunlight.

Could that be whats doing it? Anybody have any other tricks for keeping your tank squeaky clean?

Thanks!

 

[Jamo7]

What’s in your CUC?

 

[ericwithac]

What’s in your CUC?

Whats that?

 

[ericwithac]

What’s in your CUC?

I have a bunch of different snails and some hermit crabs.

 

[Crustaceon]

It’s normal for healthy tanks to develop a noticeable algae film on the display panels within a few days of cleaning. A tank whose panels never need cleaning is often on the brink of crashing as seen in ULNS and only thrive due to lots of feeding to keep corals healthy and lots of exportation of excess nutrients to continually starve algae. This is a razors-edge way of reefkeeping but it’s not for the faint of heart. IMO, it takes far less maintenance and imposes far less risk to just feed your tank sufficiently and clean your panels with a magnet every few days vs. chasing an algae-free system.

 

[Jamo7]

I agree with crustaceon. Also you may just need to adjust your CUC up. Every tank is different on how many algae eaters you need. Could just be finding the right balance of algae growth vs algae eating critters.

 

[ericwithac]

I agree with crustaceon. Also you may just need to adjust your CUC up. Every tank is different on how many algae eaters you need. Could just be finding the right balance of algae growth vs algae eating critters.

Okay, i cleaned my tank today and have found that some of my CUC has died. Ill have to replenish.